The Hazel Tree

Lu Li recalled the mission's hint: Cinderella has a good mother; try to make Cinderella live a happy life. This sentence directly elevates Cinderella's existence to the position of a protagonist, making things clear.

"And considering the information we have now, what could be happier than becoming a princess? So the mission is to help Cinderella become a princess?" Lu Li thought, and with a swift movement, he circled around to the side of the room. Seeing that no one was paying attention, his shadow, like a grappling hook, gripped the window above and pulled Lu Li inside.

Cinderella's father was an ordinary Baron in the country. Although he was a nobleman, his family had long since declined and he had no fiefdom. He could only rely on his noble status to obtain some wealth. Of course, his main source of wealth was the merchant guild established by his current wife's brother.

This resulted in his low status in the family, but there was nothing he could do about it. The reason he married that woman in the first place was because she was rich, so even though that woman already had two daughters and they were bullying his real daughter.

Lu Li climbed to the window and peered through the crack. He saw Cinderella standing there, looking lost. Cinderella wasn't the girl's real name. Because she often did dirty and tiring work, she was often covered in dirt. Her two older sisters gave her the nickname "Cendre" and "Souillon," two Cinderella words that, when transliterated, meant "dirty slut."

After being called this nickname for so long, even her father accepted it. To save face, he translated it as Cinderella. In reality, she also had another nickname, Cucendron. "Cu" means "cul," which is the Chinese word for "buttocks," so it translates to "dirty buttocks."

"Come on, Father, she's just a dirty ass!" Charlotte slapped Cinderella's bottom hard, saying with a strange smile. She was the eldest daughter of the lady of the house, and of course, she was also our Baron's daughter in name only, though she wasn't very filial.

"Enough! I am the master of this house!" the Baron shouted, barely containing his Wrath. Charlotte wanted to retort, but her second daughter Katie, stopped her, saying, "Father, let's go get the final check-up done."

Seeing his two nominal daughters walk away, the Baron angrily slapped Cinderella across the face, shoved her onto the dirty bed, and without a word, lifted Cinderella skirt and pounced on her.

Seeing this, Lu Li understood why her two older sisters called Cinderella "dirty ass." This Baron was truly disgusting, Lu Li thought to herself outside the window, when she heard a gasp and the Baron had already started putting on his pants.

Soon, only a filthy Cinderella remained upstairs, lying on the bed, cleaning herself. Medieval Europeans had very chaotic private lives; such things, though shameful, were still quite common. Charlotte mocked the Baron, mainly mocking Baron taste and, well... his time.

In the Middle Ages, there was an unwritten rule that a woman was considered pure if she returned home before midnight, regardless of how many men she had been with before. As long as she returned home before midnight, even her fiancé could not accuse her of being impure. Of course, the specific circumstances depended on the power and influence of her fiancé.

This is true outside the home, and even more so at home. So, as long as the family matters are kept secret, the woman is considered pure, and there's no problem with her getting married. What they consider purity is more about reputation than actual purity.

Cinderella wept silently. After tidying up the house, she limped downstairs. Just as she reached the bottom, she heard her wicked Stepmother, who had just returned, yelling, "You filthy ass! Hurry up and go to the backyard to boil water. After that, pick out those beans that have fallen into the ashes. If you're any slower, I'll have you sold off!"

Speechless, Cinderella went to the backyard. Beside the fireplace in the corner, there was a large pile of black ash mixed with some beans. Her sister Charlotte was standing not far away, pouring a bowl of beans into the ash. When she saw Cinderella arrive, she said something seemingly casually, but the malice in her tone was almost overflowing.

"Sorry, you dirty bottom, I was going to help pick the beans out, but I accidentally spilled some more. But since you're here, you can have these."

After saying that, Charlotte tossed the basin aside, looked at the mess with disgust, and immediately went back into the house, leaving Cinderella behind. Cinderella stood by the fireplace, put wood in, and began to boil water, the black ash making her even dirtier.

Lu Li had already walked around the courtyard and gained some understanding of the family. The Baron's income was insufficient to support his respectable life outside, so after his wife died, he married the sister of the president of a local chamber of commerce, who was also Cinderella's Stepmother.

Two daughters also came along, but Cinderella's Stepmother had not been married before, and there were many different opinions about how the two daughters came to be. However, the most suspicious person was the president of the merchant guild, who was also the Stepmother's brother. This can be inferred from the words of the Baron.

Then came the two daughters. The elder daughter, Charlotte, had a terrible temper, was Sloth, ignorant, gluttonous, and jealous. Apart from her passable appearance, she was basically useless. The younger daughter, Katie, was a little better than the elder daughter, but not much better. She utterly despised commoners and her filthy sister Cinderella, considered herself noble, and was arrogant and Greed.

While the Baron was quite prestigious outside, he was lowly at home. His two nominal daughters looked down on him, and because of his erectile dysfunction, his Stepmother wouldn't let him sleep in her bed. So he could only vent his frustrations on his biological daughter, Cinderella.

Lu Li, who roughly understood the situation, looked at Cinderella, who was still boiling water and crying. She was definitely going to attend the Prince's ball. If she couldn't even go to the ball and see the Prince, then becoming a princess would be out of the question.

A moment later, her two older sisters took the hot water away to do the final cleaning. They gave Cinderella a mocking look and left. Then the sound of horses' hooves could be heard. The Baron's family had all gone out, leaving only Cinderella.

Cinderella picked through the beans with a basin, but there was too much black ash and the beans were too small. As she picked, Cinderella started crying again. She put down the basin, went to a Hazel Tree in the backyard, knelt in front of the tree, and cried, "Mother, please help me! These beans are such a mess!"

"If I haven't finished choosing before they come back, I'll be beaten to death." Cinderella's tone was filled with despair. This terrible living environment had driven her mad and made her contemplate suicide.